keep on dancing til the world ends
by words-with-dragons
Summary: Every year, in celebration of the anniversary of the 100 year war being over, a ball is hosted in Republic City. Of course, a ball means dancing. And dancing means being partners with someone else. [Kai/Jinora & Older!Kainora as a bonus] Cover made by Urban-amore on tumblr.


keep on dancing til the world ends

* * *

The ballroom was crowded, full of finely dressed ladies and gentlemen, all here for the 85th anniversary of the 100 year war being over. A band was playing up on stage, couples were dancing and the refreshment table was being raided by Bolin and Pabu. Small circular tables were set up along the walls for the guests; Tenzin was talking with Tonraq, Korra's father, at one.

Meanwhile, Kai was sitting at a table on the opposite side of the room with Mako. Two of the four chairs around the table were empty. Korra and Asami had sat with them for a little while before disappearing onto the dance floor. Neither he nor the firebender had made an attempt to get a conversation going, which was fine by him. Mako was okay and all, but Kai really did not appreciate his constant I've-got-my-eye-on-you attitude towards him.

And despite all the noises, people around him, and the fact it was the first party he had ever attended, Kai found he couldn't keep his eyes off of Jinora. He had always been aware - painfully aware - that she was pretty. But now, with her hair pulled back into ringlets done by her Aunt Kya, and her pale blue dress that ended just below her knees, she was looking seriously beautiful.

She was talking to Bolin, tilting her head back slightly as she laughed, her lips curved up in a wide smile... They had felt so soft when she had kissed his cheek...

His face reddened at the thought. Spirits, he had heard of people going crazy when they liked someone, but he had never thought it would happen to _him_! He was done for, wasn't he? He let out a soft groan, watching Jinora say goodbye to Bolin and rejoin everyone on the dance floor.

"Lady troubles kid?"

Kai's eyes snapped up to Mako, who looked as though he might actually be on the verge of smiling. "What makes you say that?" Kai said, immediately on the defensive.

"'Cause I know that sigh myself. Who's the girl?"

Like he was telling Mako that. "It's none of your business."

"Ooh, Kai likes a girl?" Bolin said excitedly, sliding into one of the empty chairs, finally back from the refreshment table. He held a couple of powdered donuts in each hand, some of the white powder around his mouth. Pabu was curled up around his neck and shoulders, giving Bolin's messy cheek a lick. Bolin followed the direction of his gaze. "Is it Jinora?"

Dang it. Kai found he couldn't respond and turned almost as red as Mako's scarf.

"It _is_ Jinora," Bolin confirmed, sounding proud of himself. "I _knew_ it. Well, I can't say I'm surprised. So, what's the problem little bro?"

"He's been sighing a lot," Mako offered, grinning, eyes gleaming with amusement

"Oh, sighing, that's a biggie. I don't think you have any reason to be worried though; I was just talking to her, and she was saying how she wished someone would ask her to dance." Bolin gave him what the earthbender clearly thought was an encouraging pat on the back. "So why don't you just go up there and ask her."

Maybe he should ask her. She sort of liked him too, right? What was the harm? But what if she said no, what if she only acted like that around him because she was so nice. What if Tenzin saw? What if she said yes, and he stepped on her toes - he didn't know how to dance! What if she said no?

"I'm not asking her to dance," Kai decided. "Because, first of all, I _do not _have a crush on Jinora -" Mako snorted and he glared daggers at the firebender, "and second of all, I'd be a horrible dancer because I don't even know how to dance."

Silence ensued between them for at least a few minutes before Bolin broke it again. "Come on little bro, I know you want to, just go up and ask her to dance -"

Kai had tuned out though - a boy in Earth Kingdom clothes was talking to Jinora - why was he talking to Jinora?

"It looks like someone's taken care of that," Kai said bitterly, cutting Bolin off, as the boy led the way onto the dance floor, holding Jinora's hand. Then they started to dance together - the boy said something that was making her blush - he couldn't watch anymore.

He couldn't stand Mako and Bolin's sympathetic looks. Instead, he stood up abruptly, almost knocking his chair over, and promptly walked out of the ballroom and out into the hallway. He needed air.

He felt a light breeze of cool air and used his airbending to follow the current. It led him out onto a balcony that looked out over Yue Bay. The cool air was refreshing after the stuffiness of the ballroom, but his cheeks still felt hot.

Even though it was dark, the lights of the city cast enough light for him to see fairly well and made the water shine bright. Kai could even make out Air Temple Island, and Avatar Aang's statue. It was too bad Jinora had never met her grandfather... and of course he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about her, even though he wanted to!

He sighed in frustration, resigning himself to fiddling with an unraveled piece of one of his arm bands because he hadn't been allowed to wear his suspenders to the party.

"Why hadn't I just asked her to dance earlier?" he muttered angrily to himself. Even if it had gone horribly wrong, he felt sure he would be feeling better than he did now.

"Kai?"

He spun around to see Jinora standing in the doorway, her brown eyes full of concern. With the light from the hall illuminating her, it made her look even more beautiful than before (which Kai didn't even think was _possible_.) The sight of her took his breath away.

Cautiously, she took a few steps forward. "Kai, is everything okay?"

He forced himself to speak. "Everything's fine," he managed out, mentally wincing at how unconvincing it had sounded. Jinora's brow furrowed.

"Okay," she said slowly and he knew she didn't believe him. "So, is there a special reason you're out here?"

Kai shrugged, turning back to the bay so she wouldn't see him blushing and leaned on the railing. "Just needed some air," he lied shakily. (Why was it whenever he needed to lie about something actually important he couldn't do it properly?)

He looked at the airbender in surprise when she leaned against the railing too, her arm brushing his, one of her hands resting very close to his own. His fingers itched to hold it but he held the urge back.

"I know what you mean," Jinora replied, only increasing his surprise. "I was dancing with this boy in there but it turns out he isn't a gentleman at all, not like you at all Kai."

She turned towards him and gave him a smile. Nervously, he smiled back. He had never been alone - as in, completely unsupervised with Jinora before. His heart was pounding fiercely in his chest.

"And I wanted to make sure you were okay Kai." She placed her hand on his arm, blushing.

"Y-you didn't have to do that," he stammered. Spirits, what was wrong with him? A warm feeling was spreading through him rapidly.

Jinora smiled again, her eyes full of affection. "I wanted to."

Suddenly, he felt brave. She _did _like him back, he could feel it. He moved his arm away and held the hand that had been on it, blushing and grinning at her. "I've wanted to do that for a while," he confessed. Her hand felt so soft and warm and weird in his own, but in the best way possible.

Jinora turned pink, looking slightly overwhelmed but very happy. "So, uh, do you wanna go back inside and dance together?" she asked hopefully.

"I would," Kai said, hating the way her expression fell. "But I don't know how to dance," he added quickly.

She laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I'll teach you." She took his other hand in her own and took a step back. "When I step forward, you step back with the same foot, alright?" she told him, the laughter still lingering in her voice.

Kai did as she said. Miraculously, she managed to teach him the next two steps of the dance with ease. It was a simple dance, called the waltz, she explained. Soon, he had gotten the hang of it and grinned wildly at her.

"Ready to go inside?" Jinora said, smiling gently, looking proud of her airbending and now dancing pupil.

"Yeah," he said happily, trying to gather up his courage. They started to walk inside, and he knew he had only seconds before they reached the doors of the ballroom. "And Jinora?" She glanced at him. _Now or never, _he thought and leaned in, gently brushing his lips against her cheek for a few seconds. "Thanks," he added, smiling and completely red in the face.

He took her hand again and they walked into the ballroom together and onto the dance floor. As they danced together, Jinora started a conversation about the band that was playing, one he joyfully took part in.

And as they turned around together, he caught a glimpse of Mako smiling and Bolin giving him two thumbs up. Kai rolled his eyes but grinned even harder.

"What is it Kai?" Jinora said, gladly noting how happy he looked.

He looked back at her. "Nothing," he replied. "I'm just really happy I'm here with you."

* * *

The annual end-of-the-war celebration was something Jinora always looked forward to. The ballroom was always full of beautiful dresses, music, light and laughter.

And now, with her seventeenth birthday just on the horizon, she was more excited than ever. It was her first ball as an airbending master, her proudest achievement. People would see her tattoos - her hair had mostly grown back, but her hair was as short as it had been when she was ten. Aunt Kya had still pulled it back into a bun, leaving two of her curls out of it to frame her face.

She had already pulled on her dress - a pale yellow one that left her shoulders bare and ended just above her knees - since the ball was starting soon when there as a soft knock at the door of her room.

"Can I come in?"

Jinora started to smile, an automatic reaction Kai always caused. It was still so sweet that he always asked, even though they had hung out in her room often enough that her father didn't even worry anymore. Or if he did, he only let Pema know.

"Sure," she replied. She turned around to see her boyfriend opening the door, grinning widely. He was dressed nicely for the ball as well, a button-down green shirt and dark pants (she still loved Earth Kingdom colours on him) and a yellow rose in his shirt's pocket for his airbender. Unlike her, he wasn't a master yet, but was well on his way. Besides, they had promised they would travel the world together as masters and she had no intentions on breaking that promise. And if that meant she got to run her hands through his hair a little while longer before it got shaved off for tattooing, well, that was just a bonus.

"I have something special for you," he told her. That piqued her interest. "Close your eyes and put out your hands. No peeking!" Gently, she felt something cool and metallic fall into her hand. "Alright, open your eyes."

In her hands was a gorgeous golden necklace and a pale blue gemstone, like the colour of her arrows, hanging off the centre. "Oh, Kai, it's beautiful." She gave him a kiss as a way of saying thank you. He helped her put it on.

"Made me think of you," he said. "And now, my beautiful girlfriend, would you do me the honour of dancing with me at the ball?" He offered her his arm.

Jinora giggled and looped her arm through his. "It would be my pleasure," she joked, playing along.

-o-

Kai spun her around on the dance floor before bringing her back into his arms, humming along contentedly to the music. "Kai?" Jinora said. He looked down at her.

"Hmm?"

"I'm really glad you're here with me," she continued, blushing in that adorable way he loved and was glad she had never stopped doing.

"I am too," he said, and smiled as he bent down to kiss her.

_It's funny how things change_, he thought, before he forced himself to end the kiss when he spotted Tenzin turning around in their direction. He instead kept dancing with Jinora, smiling and blushing along with her, hoping Tenzin hadn't seen anything. _And well, how some things don't._

* * *

**Kainora has completely taken over my life. No, seriously. I have like 25 oneshot ideas for these two and 2 multi-chapter fics that I'm trying to decide between.**

**Also, did this seem too sappy? Or out of character? 'Cause I haven't written anything for ATLA/LOK at all (besides one kind of good oneshot like two years ago) so I'm still cautious. The last thing I want is for Kai or Jinora to be OOC. So if anything seems out of place, let me know.**

**I've also started a Kainora community known as "The thief and the airbender" where good quality Kainora fics are being stored. So if there are any I've missed and you think should be in the community, please put the name in the box below.**

**And thank you for the feedback/reviews/favourites on "breathless". It means a lot.**

**I hope you all enjoyed the fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Another one of these oneshots should be out by Thursday, so stay tuned. Thanks. :)**


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